- Wireless internet service provider Common Networks announced that it has launched the first commercial deployment of wireless rooftop hardware to customer homes
Common Networks — a wireless internet service provider (ISP) — recently announced that it has launched the first commercial deployment of wireless rooftop hardware to customer homes that leverages the new 802.11ay standard (via the Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset) and Terragraph (a gigabit wireless technology by Facebook Connectivity).
The new 60Ghz hardware — currently live on customer homes — delivers 4.6 Gbps peak data rate in one direction, which is the highest data rate in the unlicensed spectrum and will enable Common to offer its fastest internet service plan of 300 Mbps to more homes.
“Common is dedicated to making fast and affordable internet accessible to everyone,” said Common CEO and Co-founder Grace Chen. “This groundbreaking new hardware furthers that mission by allowing us to bring even higher speeds deeper into our wireless network. We’re thrilled to be working with Qualcomm and Facebook to bring all of the best wireless technology together to create Peregrine.”
Common Networks is utilizing the Qualcomm 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset to bring internet to customer homes. And by combining the 60GHz Wi-Fi chipset with Common’s own proprietary Wireless Graph Network technology, Common is able to bring its highest speeds to more people than ever before. In addition to expanding access to Common’s 300 Mbps plan immediately, the new hardware is paving the way for the launch of a 1 Gbps home internet plan later this year. This furthers the company’s mission to deliver fiber-class home internet speeds at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.
“Coupled with key 802.11ay enhancements, our 60Ghz Wi-Fi chipset unleashes the power of unlicensed mmWave spectrum to deliver multi-gigabit fixed wireless access,” added Dino Bekis, vice president and general manager, mobile connectivity and compute at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are pleased to be working with Common Networks on making ultra-high speed, low-latency internet accessible to more people, wirelessly.”
Peregrine works with Common Networks’ Wireless Graph Network software as part of their multi-spectrum and software-automated network. And the unique network setup uses smart routing and monitoring to manage traffic across multiple spectrums, delivering reliable internet to homes while drastically lowering the initial costs of connection.
Plus Peregrine also utilizes advanced networking software features from Facebook Connectivity’s Terragraph, allowing for the rapid deployment of an unlicensed 60GHz multi-gigabit wireless network using existing building assets to create a robust wireless mesh distribution network at a lower cost than that of a trenched fiber network. And Peregrine will take advantage of Terragraph’s time synchronization of nodes feature, which reduces radio interference that can be a challenge with high-speed wireless networking.
Common is offering fast and affordable internet to homes using wireless technology with free installation, all equipment included, and no contracts or extra taxes or fees. Common’s monthly plans offer up to 300Mbps for $49 per month. And later this year, Common will be releasing a new tier of 1 Gbps service, made possible by the Peregrine hardware.
